1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technique for carrying out a predetermined correction processing over image data and outputting the image data thus obtained.
2. Related Art
With the progress of a computer related technique, at present, it is possible to easily handle color image data. For example, in the case in which an image is photographed by means of a digital camera, the photographed image is stored as image data and the image data are selected and supplied to a printing apparatus if necessary. Consequently, it is possible to immediately print an image.
In the case in which the image is thus printed from the image data, moreover, the printing apparatus incorporates a technique for carrying out various correction and regulation processings for the image data and then printing the image in order to output a more suitable image. The technique includes a related-art technique (refer to JP-A-832827) for properly correcting a brightness, a contrast and a color balance of image data and outputting an image and a related-art technique (refer to Japanese Patent No-3319727) for shading off an image or causing a contour to stand out corresponding to a photographic target of the image, thereby regulating an impression of the image, for example.
Recently, there has also been proposed a related-art technique for causing a user to select a correction content by using a keyword which can be sensuously understood from a plurality of prestored corrections corresponding to a diversification of a taste in an image of a user, thereby enabling the diversified taste of the user to be dealt with (refer to JP-A-2003-234916).
However, the type of corrections to be prestored also has a limitation. For this reason, there is a problem in that it is hard to deal with tastes of all users. In a rough selection using a keyword, moreover, there is restricted a distinction of a fine difference in a correction to select a more proper correction content. Furthermore, it is necessary to prestore the correction content. Therefore, there is also a problem in that a great deal of labor is required to prepare for the correction content in addition to a memory capacity for storage.